The U.K. and European Union are starting a key week of Brexit talks, with the bloc stiffening its demands over how any trade deal will be enforced after losing trust in Boris Johnson because of his attempt to rewrite last year’s divorce agreement.
The final round of scheduled discussions between the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, David Frost, begins in Brussels on Tuesday with officials on both sides expressing cautious optimism a deal can be reached.
If the two sides make enough progress by Friday, they could embark on a two-week period of intense discussions — the so-called Brussels tunnel — to hammer out an accord in time for a summit of EU leaders on Oct. 15, Johnson’s self-imposed deadline for striking a deal.